{"product_id":"old-map-of-hilo-hawaii-by-usgs-1917-hilo-bay-waiakea-forest-reserve","title":"Old Map of Hilo, Hawaii by USGS, 1917 – Hilo Bay \u0026 Waiakea Forest Reserve","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1917, the United States Geological Survey’s topographical map titled “Hilo” presents one of Hawaii’s most evocative landscapes at a formative moment in its modern history. At a scale of 1:62,500, it encompasses Hilo, Hilo Bay, South Hilo District, Puna District, and the Waiakea Forest Reserve, rendering the eastern side of the Big Island with scientific precision and understated elegance. The map’s dense network of contour lines gives visual form to the region’s volcanic terrain, tracing the rise from coastal settlement to inland forest and upland slopes. It captures Hilo not merely as a place-name, but as a living junction of harbor, town, plantation-era land use, rainforest, and mountain-born waters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe United States Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language for which its early twentieth-century work is renowned. Founded in 1879, the USGS became the nation’s preeminent authority on topographic mapping, geological investigation, and hydrological study, producing maps that served engineers, scientists, land managers, military planners, and travelers alike. In Hawaii, where volcanic landforms, heavy rainfall, and rapidly changing settlement patterns made accurate mapping especially valuable, USGS survey work helped translate a complex island environment into legible geographic knowledge. This “Hilo” sheet belongs to that tradition: practical in purpose, yet beautiful in the clarity with which it organizes coastline, forest reserve, districts, roads, streams, and relief.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHilo itself occupies a remarkable position on the windward side of Hawaii Island, facing the broad curve of Hilo Bay and backed by lush, rain-fed terrain. Long before its twentieth-century expansion, the area was an important Hawaiian settlement zone, enriched by fertile soils, abundant water, and access to the sea. By 1917, Hilo had become a major town and port, connected to the sugar economy and to maritime routes across the Pacific. The map records this relationship between harbor and hinterland, showing how the urban fabric clustered near the bay while surrounding lands remained patterned by forest, agricultural use, and district boundaries. Its depiction of Hilo Bay anchors the composition both geographically and historically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe inclusion of the Waiakea Forest Reserve is one of the map’s most compelling features, revealing early attention to conservation, watershed protection, and land classification in Hawaii. The forested uplands behind Hilo were not simply scenic; they were essential to stream flow, rainfall capture, timber resources, and the ecological health of the district. Contour lines across the reserve and adjacent lands describe the gradual but powerful ascent from shoreline to interior, allowing the viewer to read the landscape’s structure at a glance. South Hilo and Puna appear not as abstract administrative units, but as terrain-shaped places, defined by volcanic slopes, drainage patterns, vegetation, and their relationship to Hilo’s growing coastal center.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, this 1917 “Hilo” map offers a valuable snapshot of eastern Hawaii before later waves of urban development, infrastructure expansion, and environmental change altered the region’s appearance. It allows modern viewers to compare early twentieth-century settlement patterns with present-day Hilo, to trace the persistence of district names and forest lands, and to appreciate how the city’s growth remained closely tied to bay, rainfall, and volcanic geography. Its topographic detail also evokes the practical concerns of its era: transportation, land management, watershed knowledge, and the careful measurement of a landscape still being incorporated into American scientific and administrative systems. Elegant, precise, and richly contextual, it is a portrait of Hilo at once local and expansive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHilo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSouth Hilo District\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePuna District\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWaiakea Forest Reserve\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHilo Bay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:62,500 topographical map shows Hilo in Hawaii and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map was published in 1917.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe US Geological Survey is known for its extensive cartographic work and contributions to geological and hydrological research.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map features contour lines indicating elevation changes, illustrating the topography of the region.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt provides a detailed topographical representation with clear delineation of the landscape, including forest reserves and urban areas.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map offers insights into land use and environmental features in the Hilo area as of 1917, allowing comparison with current geographical and urban development.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/fr\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/fr\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x16in (40x40cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/fr\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/fr\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"10x10 inches (25x25cm) \/ Map","offer_id":59901817946496,"sku":null,"price":360.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"10x10 inches (25x25cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":59901817979264,"sku":null,"price":967.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"10x10 inches (25x25cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":59901818012032,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x12 inches (30x30cm) \/ Map","offer_id":59901818044800,"sku":null,"price":360.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x12 inches (30x30cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":59901818077568,"sku":null,"price":967.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x12 inches (30x30cm) \/ Framed canvas 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